


Newsies In Narnia

by NewsgirlsInNeverland



Series: The Chronicles of Narnia [1]
Category: Chronicles of Narnia - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Narnia AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-20 09:11:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17019879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NewsgirlsInNeverland/pseuds/NewsgirlsInNeverland
Summary: The wardrobe looked ordinary enough; just old wood carved in beautiful, detailed patterns. But something lie beyond, waiting for four little boys to find it, to break an everlasting winter and save the world that shouldn't exist...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, it's SomedayonBroadway here posting the third story of bexlynne's and my joined account. I hope you guys are ready for some more odd crossovers and some odd stories in general.
> 
> Personally, I am super stoked for this story. It's gonna a bit of a rollercoaster. But i really hope you guys like it!
> 
> Enjoy!

The quiet was refreshing. Jack couldn't remember the last time he'd actually gotten to close his eyes for a minute while it was actually peaceful around him. But he knew better than anyone that it couldn't stay like that. Especially not with brothers like his.

"Bear? Could we play a game?"

That irresistibly, sweet voice broke through the tense silence of the small train carriage that four boys shared. The boy wished it hadn't. He wished he could just go to sleep. He couldn't remember the last time he'd actually been able to rest so well. Drearily, Jack's eyes slid open to find his three other boys in the room.

The sigh that escaped his lips must've been tuned out by all of them, or at least the two on the other side of the car. One of them, the older of the two on the other seat, sat up, waiting in an agonized silence as the rode along. If he leaned any closer to that window Jack was sure he'd be pressed up against it. Those big blue eyes were unseeing, to stressed about what was to happen next for all of them. On his lap was the head of the boy with the twisted up leg. He wasn't sleeping either, despite the barely rising sun. The blue-eyed boy was running soft fingers through his hair as they both looked off worriedly into the nothingness. But it was the boy right in front of Jack that had been speaking to him, practically begging him for some kind of distraction from the tense situation at hand. And Jack would be damned if he didn't give him one.

"C'mere, Romeo…" he breathed, reaching over to pick the boy off the ground and place him on his chest, softly running hands through his hair and down his back. "What kinda game do ya wanna play, baby?" he asked, his voice still a whisper as he did not want to disrupt the quiet completely. He painted on a smile and let the little boy squirm around on top of him for a moment to get comfortable.

"How 'bout the quiet game?" suggested a bitter, sarcastic voice from the other side of the car. Jack glared before he could stop himself.

"Let 'em be, Race. Playin' a game sounds betta' than sittin' here in silence," the other boy sighed as he sat up, shaking himself a little bit so he was more awake.

The child in his arms was scared, that much was clear to Jack. All of them were. They didn't know what to expect anymore. So Jack just cradled the boy to him for a moment before looking around the small room they were stuck in. Then, after silence passed and the tense room almost killed them all, the oldest boy in the carriage whispered, "I spy, with my little eye, something… brown," he decided after a moment, not able to stop the grin that spread across his face at the giggle he got from the boy on his chest.

"It's Crutchie's crutch!" he answered much too quickly as he wiggled around in Jack's hold so that his back was against his big brother rather than his stomach.

The boy across the car snorted. "Wow, Jackie. Real tough one there," Crutchie rolled his eyes and smiled, quickly joining in when he saw the grin on his baby brother's face. The eight year old smiled at him and the world was suddenly a better place. "I spy, with my little eye, something… _green._ "

It went on like that for a while. Three boys trying to forget their troubles so that they could just smile with each other for a single moment. But eventually Jack knew he had to do something about the boy staring aimlessly out the window, holding back his anxieties and staying quiet thinking they'd all forgotten about him. So Jack stopped and his face became solemn for a moment. "C'mon, Racer…" he pleaded quietly. "Lighten up a bit, would ya?" Jack was at a loss when the boy just glared at him. He hated how quiet the boy was. It was odd and unusual, but he didn't press. Race would come to him eventually, he knew that much. So he just shook his head and turned back to Romeo.

The boy was yawning and his eyes were drooping as he curled up on his brother. "You wake me up so you can take a nap?" the oldest boy laughed. "I don't think that's how it works, kid!" Not that he wanted to wake the boy, but they were due at their destination any moment now. Romeo should be awake when they got there, it was only polite. So he began tickling the child's sides, up and down, until the boy was a squealing, wiggling mess on top of him.

"Jack, _stop_!" Romeo cried, tears in his eyes as he tried to pry his big brother's hands away from him. But Jack was relentless, and before long, he lifted the boy up so he could hover above him as he laughed and brightened up the world as he did so. " _Bear_!" he whined, still giggling madly as Jack gently threw him up in the air only to catch him and cradle him to his chest again.

"Why don't ya just let 'im sleep? At least one a' us woulda gotten some shut eye."

_Oh boy,_ Jack thought as he glanced over to see Race shaking his head at him, the lack of sleep making him even more moody than usual. "Ya coulda gotten some sleep if ya came ova' here and relaxed like I told ya to," Jack shot back, a bit annoyed that the boy never listened to him. But Race just shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Stop worryin', kid. The world ain't always gonna be out ta get us," he promised, trying to calm the boy who wasn't even too much younger than him.

"Well…" Crutchie smirked, nudging Race with his elbow. "Maybe it'll always have it out for you, but the rest of us will be _just fine_ ," the boy stated, winking at Romeo as he looked up from Jack's chest.

Scoffing, Race stood to his feet, hoping to stretch for even just a moment before his whole world might turn upside down. It was then that Jack sat up, still cradling their littlest brother in his arms and patting the seat next to him, welcoming Race to sit once more. "What did I tell ya?" Jack whispered, rocking Romeo back and forth as he snuggled into him and as Crutchie limped his way over to sit beside them.

"I ain't gotta be scared a' nothin'..." Race repeated in a mutter, barely believing the words as they escaped his lips. Though, he lay his head down on Jack's shoulder and grasped onto his shirt sleeve with his bare hands. "Do we gotta be here, Jack?"

The words struck him hard as Crutchie began to run hands through Romeo's hair.

The four of them. A new home. It never did go too well. No matter how much hope Jack had that maybe  _this time_ would be different, it always ended in disappointment. He had to set rules for his babies and they had to have codes for when they were in trouble so they wouldn't get hurt more than they were inevitably going to. And in that moment, all Jack wanted to do was scoop them up and take them in himself. He was more a father to them than they'd ever had. He deserved to be able to keep them under his own watch.

The government said no. They weren't his. Jack knew better. If he didn't protect them, who would?

And as that train came to a stop, four boys were huddled together in a circle of fierce protection and just about nothing could tear them apart. But when a man opened their door and threw in the single bag they carried with them, they knew it was time to go.

"Get a move on, boys…" Jack mumbled, gently setting the youngest of them on his feet. "It's time ta go…" And off they went.

"Is this a good place?" Romeo asked, his small hand finding Jack's. "Or a bad one?"

The oldest sighed. "I don't know, pal," he admitted, squeezing his brother's hand. "But ya believe in luck, don't ya?"

When Romeo didn't answer, Race piped up. "Come on, Rome. You'se beat me at cards once or twice. That's gotta be luck."

"Race!" Jack hissed, sending the blonde boy an irritated glare. "Ya ain't helping." Race rolled his eyes, bending down to pick up the carpetbag as Jack comforted their brother, scooping the kid up into his arms to rest on his hip. "The three of us'll always be here ta look afta ya, ya know that, right? 'Specially me. I'm your big brother, it's my job."

That coaxed a small smile out of Romeo. "Thanks, Bear," he said in a small voice, wrapping his arms around Jack's neck.

"Alright," Jack said, glancing around the compartment. "I got the kid, Race has got the bag, Crutchie's got his crutch..." He grinned. "Let's get this show on the road."

It was going to be rough. New homes always were, no matter how nice the people there pretended to be. It was a miracle they'd managed to stay together this long- four boys, three of them teenagers, one with what many would call a disability. They would be walking on eggshells for the first week or two, testing the waters, getting the feel of the people here. It was hard, and Jack knew that better than anyone. He always tried to take the brunt of whatever situation life decided to throw them into next. But they had always stayed in Manhattan, where he had friends and connections and word was spread about which foster homes were good and which ones you should get out of fast.

The place they were now wasn't Manhattan, that was for sure. Trees and rolling hills stretched out in every direction, the railroad tracks cutting a harsh line through the scenery. No matter where he looked, that's all he saw. Grass, hills, trees, train tracks. Not a house or a building or an automobile in sight. The train station itself was little more than a shack near the rails. Everything about it was new and unfamiliar, and _oh God, he was so scared._

A small whimper from Romeo snapped him back to reality, and he automatically cradled the dark-haired boy closer as he sent a tentative glance toward his brothers. Crutchie was taking deep breaths and trying not to cry, and Race's blue eyes were wide. Every muscle in the boy's body was tensed, like he was about to bolt. With a deep breath, Jack squared his shoulders, setting Romeo on his feet. He was the oldest. He was the example. He couldn't afford to be scared, not with so much to lose.

_So much to lose..._ He took another long look at the three boys, scraping up the last of his courage. "Mr. Kloppman sent word he'd pick us up," he said, reaching over to fix Race's coat collar. The curly-haired blonde batted his hand away, but Jack ignored him. "So we just have to wait. I'm sure he'll be here soon."

"Is that him?" Crutchie asked doubtfully, pointing down the dirt road. Emerging from behind the hills was a cart, driven by a gray-haired man with wire-rimmed glasses and pulled by a tired gray horse, kicking up dust. All four boys stood motionless, rooted to the spot as the cart ground to a stop right in front of them.

"Are you the four boys from the city?" the driver called. "I sure hope you are, seeing as there's nobody else here," he joked when the silence stretched out a bit too long. "I don't know your names, but I'm-"

"Mr. Kloppman," Jack finished for him, reaching over to shake the man's hand. _Courage,_ he reminded himself. "I'm Jack Kelly, sir. And these are my brothers, Anthony, Charlie, and Nicolas," he explained, gesturing to each boy in turn.

The old man nodded, sending them a friendly smile. "Nice to meet you, boys," he said, dropping the reins and climbing down from his seat. "If you'll show me where your trunks are, I'll load them up and we'll get going."

"Right here, sir," Race supplied, holding out the bag.

If Kloppman was surprised, to his credit he didn't show it. "Good lad," he said, clapping Race on the shoulder. He didn't hear the boy's sharp intake of breath, or see the stricken look on his face, for which Jack was grateful. "Hurry up, climb in," the old man said, glancing back at them as he re-took his seat. "I'd like to make it home before dark."

Jack was first to climb into the little cart, reaching down to lift Crutchie up and then helping Race with the bag while the younger boy boosted Romeo up to his seat. "Onward!" Mr. Kloppman said cheerily. _Onward,_ Jack agreed grimly. _Off to the unknown._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, it's bexlynne! Thank you for all the positive feedback on chapter one, it was so exciting to hear!

Trying to refrain from clinging to his brothers for dear life was like trying to keep himself from breathing. He couldn't. Not now. If the man saw them huddling so close together, there was no telling what might happen. There were too many memories of Jack's boys being used against him, too many memories of his boys being beaten for wanting to be held. It wasn't going to happen again. Not right now.

All Jack was able to do on that silent, daunting carriage ride was pull his littlest brother onto his lap, trying not to melt underneath the child when he snuggled into him. He held the boy tightly to him, ready to protect him from anything as they continued on their path.

There was more green in this place than those four boys had seen in their entire life. Trees sprouted from the ground in every direction and the grassy hills were endless. They all tried to distract themselves with the view, though they knew it wasn't working. This man hadn't said a word to them since they'd gotten into his carriage and that frightened them. All they could do was sit with each other, praying that it would all just be okay, because they knew from experience that it could be so much worse than they ever imagined.

It was almost hard not to smile at the way Race's eyes widened at the colors around him. Crutchie had a hard time not watching him take in the glorious sight for several minutes. His brother's blue eyes were so wide and amazed almost mirroring the amount of wonder that little Romeo had in the very same moment. The sight was almost more beautiful than the trees that surrounded them; his brothers' awe.

However, as Crutchie continued to let his eyes wander around this new place where green was normal and the sky was so clear, he saw something else. " _Whoa_ " he breathed out, unable to contain his initial amazement at the house… no, the _mansion_ standing proud and tall just a ways away. It looked like it was purely white with so many windows that they could see the stars from whatever room they went in.

There wasn't a moment in his life that Crutchie could remember getting to watch the stars.

At his little brother's breath of awe, Jack lifted his head up from Romeo's hair and tried to assess what had gotten such a response from the other boy. By the way the oldest boy's own eyes widened and the way his lips slightly parted with surprise, he hadn't been expecting to see the great big mansion either. It wasn't long before all four of them were staring, their mouths agape in shock as they all realized there was no where else for this path to go but straight towards that house.

"There it is, boys…" Mr. Kloppman smiled, taking just a moment to glance back and see their faces, laughing as he did so. "Welcome home."

 _Home_. If only they'd believed it.

* * *

"... this here is a sitting room where you boys can hang out, if you like. The restroom is just across the hall…"

It was a maze; a trap. Beautiful from the outside but hell to figure the way out of. Race watched his big brother. He could see the anxiety radiating off of him as Romeo's little hand grasped onto his. They wouldn't let go of each other for the world. All the blond boy could do was grip their bag tighter in his hand and follow their new guardian through his never ending palace, trying his best to remember the way out in case things went south.

"This room is my office." Mr. Kloppman pointed to a door at the end of the long hallway they were currently in. They continued to walk but the old man turned to them for a moment. "Please don't go in there unless there's an emergency," he asked before turning back around. Race could hear the quiet, frustrated sigh that Crutchie let out beside him, the boy most likely having a bit of a hard time keeping up. Race didn't want to think about how his brother's leg had been acting up lately. The rattling, racing train and the rough, bouncing carriage ride likely hadn't helped much. He turned to the kid silently, a question in his eyes that the younger boy immediately waved off.

 _"I don't need no one carryin' me,"_ he always said, though Jack could get away with it more than anyone else. Race knew Charlie hated being carried when they got to new houses. He didn't want to look like the weak link and Race understood that. It didn't make it any easier to know the boy was in pain.

It was a long time before Kloppman stopped walking, opening up a door to a large bedroom bigger than any of the boys had seen in their entire life. Jack's eyes widened at the sight and he held tighter to his baby brother's hand as the old man waved for them to follow.

Two beds. More than enough. They'd gotten by with so much less before. They could do that.

"Why don't you two older boys get settled in here and I can show the younger two to their room." That was when the panic set in.

The oldest boy's face paled a little bit as he looked down at little Romeo. "Uhm…" he stuttered a bit, trying to figure out what to say. The younger kid's big brown eyes were wide with fear as he knew he had to let go of his big brother's hand now.

"No need to be shy, it's just down the hall," Kloppman assured, walking back to the door that they'd just entered through. If he noticed their petrified expression, he pretended not to notice as he lightly pat the young blond boy on the shoulder and walked passed all of them, trusting Charlie and little Nicolas to follow him. The boy with the crutch flinched at the contact and gave his big brothers a helpless kind of look before he began to turn around, following the old man down the hall.

"Bear, I don' wanna-" Romeo began, a few tears in his eyes as he faced the unknown, but he was cut off.

"Are you kids comin' or what?" called the old man from the other side of the hallway. The littlest of them gasped a bit at the shout and immediately made his way over to the door, following his other brother down the hall.

For a moment, Race just watched Jack as his own heart dropped in his chest. But when his big brother shook his head and lunged over towards the door, his instincts kicked it. He was quick to wrap his arms around the older boy's chest and hold him back. "Jackie!" he whispered as the brunette struggled in his hold. "They're gonna be fine!" he tried to assure him, attempting to keep his voice low enough so their new foster father wouldn't hear them.

Whirling around with tears in his eyes, Jack shoved the smaller boy away from him, not enough to harm him, but enough to make him stumble. "You don't know that!"

It was true. They didn't know that. With the hell they'd been through in their last home, it was hard to let the younger two out of their sight. The world was against them and there was nothing they could do about it. So Race didn't argue, he just remained in his place while Jack dropped himself back on one of the beds, his hands over his face, either to mask his tears or to brace himself for screams, possibly both.

The blue eyed boy didn't exactly know what to do. He was left leaning up against a wall, watching his brother try not to let everything catch up with himself. He was sure the older boy hadn't slept in days and he'd been giving Romeo and Crutchie his meals for the past few nights too. Race tried to tell him that it would all be okay and that he needed to take care of himself, but Jack always waved him off and told him he was fine.

He wasn't fine. He was a boy wrapped in a box of stress and anxiety because he worked too hard to protect his brothers. He had so much to lose. They all did.

It was quiet for just a moment. One moment stretched into two, and everything was so still that Race didn't know what to do. He could hear Jack's shaky breaths and he wished beyond anything that they would stop. Jack never lost it around the other kids. It was only when it was just Race that he'd come anywhere close and the boy hated the sight. He hated that they had every reason to be scared. But just as the young boy opened his mouth to say something, a small ball of energy came bounding onto the same bed that Jack occupied.

"Bear! Mr. Kloppman ga'e me candy!" Romeo cried happily as he bounced up and down on the soft mattress, a lollipop stuck in his mouth as he grinned at the sugar he hadn't had in such a long time.

A laugh followed soon after but Jack was too busy sitting up and pulling his brother too him, looking up with fierce green eyes to take in everything around them and scope out any dangers nearby before the words caught up to him. His whole body sagged with a kind of relief before he looked up to see Crutchie limp up to the doorframe and lean against it with a small smile upon his lips. Kloppman wasn't far behind, a kind look in his wise eyes as he saw how Jack cradled the small child to his chest. "It's getting late, boys," he stated kindly. "If you're hungry, I showed you the kitchen. Don't be afraid to get something to eat. And there's more where that came from, if you'd like," he added, addressing the older three as he gestured to the candy in Romeo's mouth.

With a small nod, Jack quickly composed himself and sat up a bit straighter, letting a now very happy little boy slid down onto the ground. Trying to muster up as much strength as he could, he let a very small, very hesitant smile onto his face as he glanced over at their new guardian so quickly the rest of the room barely caught it. "You heard the man, kiddo…" His voice shook only slightly, but he just forced himself to be the big brother, the one who would put on a brave face and deal with his fear another time. "Why don' we finish this an' then go get ready for bed, yeah?" He tapped the end of the boy's nose, his whole heart warming at the sight of Romeo's grin.

"I'll be downstairs if you boys need me…" Kloppman offered them a small wave. He winked at Race before turning and making his way back out into the hallway with a quiet "goodnight!" before the four brothers were left alone once again in a maze of a house that they still only vaguely knew their way around.

"Goodnight…" Jack called back, letting his eyes slide closed as he sighed.

_Nice goin', coward…_

* * *

"Bear," someone very small and very energetic whined, climbing to sit on Jack's chest. "I'm _bored_. I wanna play."

Jack had been snoozing with his cap pushed down over his eyes -key words being _had been_ \- but he heaved a heavy sigh, gently pushing his baby brother off of him and onto the bed. "Play with ya brotha's, baby," he muttered, his voice muffled slightly by the cap.

Romeo gave a loud, dramatic sigh, flopping back to rest with his head on Jack's stomach. It was silent for a small moment before- "Ya done sleepin' yet, Bear?" Jack's answer was an equally loud, exaggerated snore that didn't even skip a beat, making the little boy giggle.

"Romeo!" a voice hissed from the doorway. Jack felt the weight on his torso whisk away, followed by Race's voice scolding their brother quietly. "Jack's sleepin', buddy. Ya know he was up all the last two nights with…" the boy stopped, shaking his head a bit, sort of afraid to finish his sentence. Jack didn't move on the bed, but Race could see his big brother tense a little bit.

"I didn't have any bad dreams last night though," Romeo protested, his voice rising to a whine.

Race scowled, scratching the back of his neck and avoiding answering the obvious. "Ya ain't the only one who has nightmares, kid," he sighed. "Crutchie gets 'em too, an' me..."

"Not Jack though, right?" Romeo interrupted, glancing toward their brother on the bed. He was stretched out full length on top of the coverlet, his shoes kicked off and his arms behind his head. Romeo couldn't tell if he was awake or not- that snore earlier had sounded pretty real to him.

Race followed Romeo's gaze, remembering last night when he'd had to practically tackle his big brother and cover his mouth to keep him from screaming, shaking him as hard as he dared to wake him up and assure him of where he was, that Race was right here and the little boys were down the hall. Jack never talked after dreams like that, and Race had a feeling he never slept, either. He needed all the rest he could get today. Even if it meant jumping through hoops to keep Romeo busy.

"Nah," he said. "Not Jack. C'mon," he diverted, crouching down so his youngest brother could climb on his back. "Let's go find Crutchie an' play a game or somethin'. It'll be fun, I promise."

"But I wanna play outside!" Romeo protested, clamoring on his brother's back reluctantly.

"Yeah, well, it's rainin'," Race sighed. "Mr. Kloppman don't want us goin' out in the rain, says we'll catch a cold or somethin'." _Three days. It's easy for him ta say 'stay in,' he ain't the one who has ta entertain this one._

"We stayed out in the rain all the time at the last place," Romeo complained, ready to pitch a full on tantrum if he had to. "All night, sometimes. Jack _told_ us to stay outside. And we neva' got sick then."

The blond boy felt his heart break just a little at the memory. Romeo was so innocent, he'd never noticed the new bruises on Jack's skin. "That was different," Race said, his words short and clipped. "Romeo, c'mon. Don't throw a fit, just come play with Crutchie an' me."

"Inside games are _boring_ without Jack!" came the quick reply.

Race groaned, feeling his little brother's arms wrap tighter around his neck. With a small, defeated shake of his head, he let out a desperate sigh "Cowboy, are ya gonna keep pretendin' ta sleep or are ya gonna give me a hand?" he asked. _Well, I'se tried..._

The boy on the bed grinned in spite of himself, shoving his hat back on his head and lazily getting to his feet. "Borin', huh?" he said, pinching Romeo's nose lightly. "I ain't neva' heard ya say that a game a' _'Jack Kelly hide an' seek'_ was borin'."

"Bear!" Romeo shrieked with excitement, jumping from Race's back to Jack's arms.

"Hey, careful!" Race objected, ducking away from the two and shaking his head. He cast a nervous glance towards the doorway, a sort of shock filling up his chest when no one was there to hiss at them to _"quiet down!"_

"Aw, you're no fun," Jack said easily, setting Romeo on his feet. The little boy took off like a shot, calling for Crutchie as he ran. "One," Jack said, clapping his hands over his eyes. "Two… better run, Racer," he cautioned. "Three. Four."

Rolling his eyes, Race headed down the hallway after his brothers. "You're impossible," he threw over his shoulder as he left.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Jack called back, the smile evident in his voice. "Get hidin', Racer!"

Race wandered off down the hall at a much slower pace than Romeo had, trying a door every once in a while if it looked interesting. He could plainly see the tip of a wooden crutch poking out from a curtain at the end of the hall, so he ducked into a room before he reached there, stifling a smile as he did.

This room was empty, except for the enormous wardrobe against the far wall. Everything -the sound of the rain splattering on the tin roof, the ever-present smell of dust and old books, the constant tense, sick feeling in his stomach- seemed to fade away as he walked slowly towards it. It was huge, big enough for all four of them at least, and beautifully carved. The wood seemed to shine, a beautiful golden dark brown color that Race couldn't recall seeing on any tree in New York before. Carved into the doors was a tree, strong and proud, with a roaring lion standing guard at its base. Race couldn't help but reach out to it, wanting to run his fingers over the shining wood and feel the ridges and whorls of the pictures engraved on it.

Before he could, the wardrobe door opened just a crack. "Race!" a little voice hissed, accompanied by a pair of dark glittering eyes. _Romeo_. "This is my room! Find your own spot!"

The door swished closed again, and Race rolled his eyes. "A'right, I'm leavin'," he said.

"Not so loud!" Romeo ordered, his voice muffled through the doors. "Jack'll hear ya!" He crouched down on the floor, wrapping his arms around his knees and peering out through the crack between the two doors. After a moment or two, he shifted to a sitting position. He had forgotten how boring hide and seek could be when you were the one hiding. Struggling to his feet again, he took two steps backwards, expecting to feel his back press against the smooth wood of the back of the wardrobe. When nothing happened, he took another two steps.

 _It can't be that big,_ he thought dubiously, taking another step. _Crunch_. Romeo froze, his left foot surrounded by something freezing and wet and the numbing, aching cold rapidly seeping through his shoe and sock. Hesitantly, almost afraid to look, he risked a glance downwards and gasped. _Snow_. All over the wardrobe floor was snow, heaps and piles of it. And where the back of the wardrobe should have been there was… nothing. The stout wooden walls gave way to trees and snow, and nothing else. Romeo wrapped his arms around his torso, shivering slightly and he turned in a slow circle, taking it all in. Snowflakes settled in his dark hair and landed gently on his eyelashes, and he brushed them away with a slight giggle. It had been _so long_ since Jack had taken them to play in the snow. Romeo expanded his circle, walking a few steps in each direction and kicking up drifts of snow and ice as he went, not even noticing the icy water soaking through his shoes. On his third trip in his little circle, he saw it- a warm, steady little light, only a few yards off through the trees.

He was drawn to it like a moth, struggling through drifts well above his knees and slipping through the trees that stood in his path. When he finally burst into the little clearing, he was surprised to see that the light didn't come from a fire or a lantern. It was a lamppost. The wrought iron was glazed over with a sheen of frost and was rusted in some places, but its little light was still shining persistently, flickering every once in a while as snowflakes sizzled against the glass.

The second thing Romeo noticed was the man - _man?_ \- to his left, coming into the clearing at the same moment he did. He had a long, dark beard down to the middle of his chest, and shaggy dark hair above, but he was almost the same height as Romeo himself, which is where the confusion came from. He had on a red coat, and a red fur-lined hood drawn up over his head to ward off the snow. A coil of rope was looped over one shoulder, and a large burlap sack was slung over the other. What with the snow and the hood and the sack, he almost looked a little like Santa Claus.

Romeo was so fascinated by the thing, he didn't even notice when the creature lazily threw a glance around the clearing, his gaze falling on the little boy. Flinging his sack in the air, he let out a shrill, high scream. Romeo screamed in return, backpedaling as fast as he could and trying to get the lamppost between him and the thing. His feet skidded on the hard-packed snow, flying out from under him and landing him on his back with a thud. He pushed himself painfully up into a sitting position, searching frantically for the creature and panicking when he couldn't find it.

"Here," a rough voice said from behind him. Romeo flinched, only to find himself hauled up by his collar and set on his feet.

"Th-thanks," Romeo stuttered, falling back a step automatically and keeping a wary eye on the stranger.

"Don' mention it," the thing said, his accent strange and unfamiliar. "Now lemme ask ya somethin', kid. What _are_ ya?"

"What am I?" Romeo choked out. "What are _you?_ "

"Really, kid?" the stranger asked, raising one dark eyebrow. "I'se a dwarf. C'mon. Now what are ya?"

"I'm… I'm Romeo," the boy said, confusion written on his face.

The dwarf sighed. "An' I'm Spot," he replied. "Pleased ta meet ya. Now cut ta the chase, kid. Ya ain't a dwarf like me, that's obvious. Ya ain't a Naiad or a Dryad. Ya sure as hell ain't a faun. If I didn't know betta'... I'd say you'se a _Son of Adam_ " _It ain't possible… it can't be…_ The dwarf's eyes widened as he took in the sight, not that the boy really noticed.

"I… I don't know my pa's name," Romeo mumbled hesitantly, suddenly finding an interest in his hands as he thought about it again, as if that thought hadn't haunted him enough throughout his small life. "I neva' met him..."

"Lucky you," Spot muttered, still eying the human suspiciously, not exactly knowing what road to take from here. "My fatha' sided with _him_."

"Him?" Romeo repeated.

"Yeah," Spot said, carefully adjusting the rope over his shoulder. " _Him_. Ya know, the reason it's winter right now. Jeez, kid, where've ya been these last thousand years?"

"I'se been at Kloppman's house," Romeo explained helplessly, pointing back through the trees. "With Bear an' Tony an' Charlie. We was playin' a game an' I's was tryin' ya hide-"

"Kid, I can't unda'stand a word you'se sayin," Spot stated, holding up a hand to stop him. "Ya obviously ain't from 'round here, so lemme give ya a quick geography lesson. Everythin' here, from the Lantern Waste," he pointed at the light above their heads. "Ta the Eastern Sea at Cair Paravel, that's Narnia. My home." _Home. Or something like that._

"O-oh," Romeo stuttered out, looking around. "It looks… nice," the boy finished, not really knowing what else he could say, but knowing his big brother has always told him to be polite.

"Ya don't gotta lie," Spot dismissed immediately. "It's a frozen wasteland an' we all know it. It's all _his_ fault. An' if you really are who ya says ya are," he added, his voice dropping suddenly. "Then ya can't stay here. If ya knew what was good for ya you'd turn around right now and run back ta where ya came from." Romeo shied away, feeling the familiar chill down his spine that had nothing to do with the cold, desperately wishing Jack was there at his side, sliding his big hand into Romeo's and assuring him quietly that everything would be okay before he picked him up and held him close.

 _He's confused, Conlon. It's now er neva'._ "Hey, I'm just messin' with ya," Spot said, seeing his face. "C'mon, kid, you'se soaked through. Wanna stop by my place for a bite ta eat an' a chance ta dry off?" He hefted his sack back onto his shoulder, glancing over his shoulder to be sure Romeo was following. _Please have some sense, kid..._

"Uhm…" Romeo flung a helpless glance back to where he'd come, just barely able to pick out the wardrobe door amongst the trees. _I can still see home. If I needs ta, I can just run for Jack._ "Comin'!" he called, hearing his brother's voice in his head. He was in a strange place with a strange… _dwarf_ … knowing trust wasn't supposed to come easy.

Curiosity was a dangerous thing.

With a small shrug and one last long glance back at his passageway to his brothers, Romeo broke into a steady run, in the opposite direction. "Spot, I'm comin'!"

Spot winced. _I'm so sorry, kid..._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you did please be sure to leave us a review, SomedayonBroadway will answer it next time around when she posts chapter 3! Love you all!

**Author's Note:**

> There you have it! The first chapter of Newsies in Narnia!
> 
> If you enjoyed this chapter please drop us a review or a PM. It was really a lot of fun to write, and make sure to check out our other stories as well!
> 
> Thanks so much for reading! Come back for our next update when bexlynne posts the next chapter ;)


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